James Dolan’s lawyer asks for security video be entered as evidence in Charles Oakley lawsuit

Both sides agree in the never-ending James Dolan-Charles Oakley war: let's go to the video tape.

Two days after Oakley publicly declared that video evidence – unseen by the public – is so favorable to him that it could lead to Dolan being punished by the NBA, the Knicks owner's lawyer responded with a letter to the judge pleading that the video be entered as evidence because it would exonerate Dolan in Oakley's defamation lawsuit.

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"We remain confident that this case should be dismissed with or without video review," the lawyer wrote, according to Newsday. "But now it appears that Oakley himself agrees with our longstanding position that, in deciding this motion to dismiss, Your Honor should review the contemporaneous videos, which depict Oakley repeatedly striking MSG security guards and resisting their efforts with NYPD officers to escort him out of the arena."

James Dolan is asking for the security tape to be entered as evidence because he believes it will exonerate him. (Kathy Willens/AP)

Oakley, 54, was charged with assault, harassment and trespassing after security booted him from the Garden at the order of Dolan during a Knicks game in February 2017. He was cleared of the charges earlier this year after he agreed last August to stay out of trouble for six months and away from the Garden for a year.

After his arrest, Dolan suggested Oakley had a drinking problem. Oakley responded in September by filing a lawsuit for defamation and discrimination. Lawyers for Dolan and MSG subsequently filed a request to dismiss Oakley's suit.

Charles Oakley is more than happy to use the video as evidence. (Richard Drew/AP)

"You watch the tape, from what I see, fans will see sooner or later too, because it's embarrassing," Oakley said Tuesday. "The same tape we get, the judge will get and you'll be able to see it too. I don't know if (the judge) got it but he'll be able to see it before he gives the final notice of dismissal or keep going to go to court. If the judge dismisses this, there might be a riot."

Oakley also said that NBA commissioner Adam Silver had sided with Dolan but would be forced to reverse his stance after seeing the video.

"He's going to see that (Dolan) lied and he took up for (Dolan) without seeing the tape," Oakley said. "It's evidence to show you. Like I told you, I was in my seat the whole time. … He can look at it today or tomorrow. He can look at it whenever. I haven't heard from him since the meeting. But he can look at the tape and I'll bet he's going to call me the next day. We're going to have problems."